


In their Wood

by DiamondGasm



Category: Personal Work - Fandom
Genre: Other, unicorn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-03
Updated: 2020-03-03
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:33:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22997002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DiamondGasm/pseuds/DiamondGasm
Summary: Au setting of something I'm dying to write for a friend of mine and myself! Erhart belongs to Desperish@tumblr / Paris belongs to me
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	In their Wood

**Author's Note:**

> A gift for Des! Part 1 of 3 (?). Erhart is contracted to find the most elusive of mythical beasts and is left for months in a woods; pretending like he's working.

The lilting score of the wind sailed through the trees, playfully rustling their branches and toying with loose foliage, whipping caught up leaves in its play. The forest was a quiet, but alive reserve; the silence broken by bird song or animals moving in the brush. It was where Ulrich sometimes felt most at home, sitting and hunched on a fallen log, covered with moss of regrowth. No people; no politics. Just earth and sky and everything in between. Creatures paying no heed to the man in their midst, bustling along in the bushes or crawling on the ground. Their visitor was quiet, observant- patient. The scent of death clung to him that made them scatter at first but in his unhurried ways, they eventually grew used to him. It was as if he were part of the cycle of the forest, rising with breath of life in his lungs before bedding at night but keeping an alert for danger- as all wild creatures had to do.

Except even now the forest was wearing thin on him. It had been two months of camping and waiting. He wouldn't have minded it so much if he were at least some what more productive with all this time. At first it was fine; the forest was plentiful, her bounty bursting with access to animals and edible nuts and berries. For a trapper as him, it had seemed like easy work- being paid to meander and explore. The forest was more moderate in weather than its surrounding lands. Warm enough for him to shed his initials layers but cool enough to wick the sweat off of his brow. Early morning mist settling around his feet and covering the distance with a veil, making it look almost as though whatever was beyond was shifting and dancing. At any point in time he would have gladly used every waking moment to prepare for the coming winter in terms of food and trade for the harsh winters.

As he sharpened his hunting knife for the seemingly hundredth time, striking a hard stone to its edge; he wondered how long it would be before he could go back empty handed in his actual task. He took out a rolled up tanned hide and unfurled it, studying the markings he had made on it of the forest's inner workings. This is the third encampment he had made. Ulrich's eyes roamed over his rudimentary map, wondering if he should make camp one more week elsewhere before going back. Ulrich's brow furrowed as he continued his train of thought, lip pinching into an annoyed, concentrated line.

He had no horse. His back grew heavier every time he moved to another deeper part of the forest, taking his supplies and new furs with him. It was getting cumbersome. He could let the furs dry in the air but he couldn't preserve all of its meat if he really wanted to stock up for sales and trade later in thinner seasons. The meat would spoil too fast without being able to lay it out in the sun or salt it for later travels. The spattering of light through the trees was not enough for this endeavor so he only caught what he could eat nearly immediately. This was becoming more than a nuisance. Winter was not long away and this could have been time he could prepare for it. Rolling the map back up, he finally stood and began to get ready to make his next camp before dusk made its claim. Ulrich's internal monologue as he did this went back and forth, fighting with himself on going back now and giving up this fool's errand or waiting one more week. The gold he was being paid would soon not be worth it if he stayed out much longer.

Perhaps Ulrich was the fool for even agreeing to this. An invitation from the king had been sent to his cabin, which in itself, merited some attention considering how he had made sure to be hard to find in his aging years. So he struck out, heeding the summons and entering a court much too luxurious for his liking. He could have ignored the address but he had finally gotten a harvest to take root in his corner of the world, so ideally he wasn't too infatuated with the thought of being nomadic once more and just picking up and leaving. So there he was among the 'elite'. Nobles, fat on roasted pig raised by their serfs and never knowing a day of hard work in their lives. All while gossiping and carrying on about in some faux notion of importance. Ulrich slunk past them in silence, sunken and haggard from years of turmoil. He stood out and he didn't care for it; preferring more to blend into his environments and be an observant eye that none were aware of.

It was a quiet moment of relief thinking he could just show up and leave from a festive party. Refined further at the thought of telling the royal adviser to go shove his summons up his ass when it was contested that he never did show. But thoughts where interrupted because, indeed, the king had saw him. Beckoned for him loudly, causing the party to turn his way even as he continued t keep to the shadows against the walls. Red cheeked and nose tinted by the blush of wine, the man that was lord of all in this land. This man declared he had quest for Ulrich, a quest for a trapper who has never failed to deliver.

Ulrich had traveled lands in the name of kings long before this one; kings paying hefty sums for the skull of an elephant or hide of a lion. When he was younger, it was work he relished; challenging and exciting. But as the years weighed on his shoulders, the nobles began to blur and the creatures he admired became pets for those who sat on pillows; regal creatures put on show, forced to leave their forests and jungles. It was a degradation Ulrich cursed himself in his younger years for not seeing. One imparted on the proudest of beasts, just so he could prove his own mettle and skill, testing the cloth he was cut from. The gaunt man wondered if this was retribution, feeling very much like one of the animals he had been sent to capture- dragged out of its home to marble floors and shrieks of laughter. There was nothing he yearned for more than the quiet of his farm and the feeling of earth beneath his feet. A last summons, he decided, before he would disappear altogether and live out his days quietly. Returning to the earth in peaceful loneliness.

Soon, the entire party was escorted to the royal garden where the king boasted about his creatures, Ulrich trailing at the end in misery, but also observing the zoo the king had cultivated. A tiger pacing in her cell, flashing yellowed fangs and bright eyes when her thoughts were interrupted by awkward, gangly creatures clothed in silk. Peacocks, making a great noise as they spread their fanned tail, delighting the aristocrats as the beauty of their iridescent feathers flashing in the sun. Amazingly, an elephant, painted with clay as an homage to its native land and its handler smiling proudly while ivory tusks dazzled in the light. Zebras, flamingos, parrots, tigers- it was one of the more impressive collections Ulrich had seen. Seeing all these beasts, trapped for display reminded him why, after many years, he retired. The pompous speech, the spilling of wine from a golden goblet, and the grandiose of the king just made him grow more tired with each word, droning on about how he has all these wondrous creatures but there was one he had yet to have. There was always one more they've yet to have, otherwise he wouldn't be there. Other exotic creatures in steaming jungles, frigid wastelands, endless sea- the list never ended. Even if Ulrich had a hundred lifetimes, he would never be able to see them all, much less ever trap one for a narcissist's home.

As the king words wore on; Ulrich's patience waned thin. Glancing around, climbing nobles eagerly lapped up every word, buzzed on wine and excitement the grandiose display the king was very much enjoying lauding over. So he prepared his denial, out of place among the finery and glittering jewels of his company. Rubbing an eye roughly while the king built up to the climax of his speech, daring to have the impossible of most impossible creates; which Ulrich found quite typical. But wasn't typical was the request that made the entire company fall flat in stunned silence. A request was so ludicrous, Ulrich would have laughed if he didn't have to wonder so deeply if the king was serious. Ulrich had considered him quite prepared for the fantastical requests kings were fond of making, but this one was probably the most absurd of them all:

A unicorn. 

The king wanted him to capture a unicorn.

The idea of it- a creature from fairy tale. It caused him to briefly stop all thought and weigh if he was being paraded around on display for the amusement of everyone there, waiting to see his reaction. Wanting to see if he would take this bait. But a cursory glance and look at seeing the other aristocrats look a bit unsure of what reaction they should have to this announcement told him they were all bewildered as well. A few chuckled lightly, congratulating the king on his elaborate joke, asking him what quest he wanted Ulrich to pursue to the ends of the earth.

But no, the king was adamant. Wildly recounting a tale of a maiden from the castle, when he was a boy, who claimed to have seen a unicorn. He too, didn't believe it, writing it off as mockery and for attention. But then years later, he got lost in a veiled wood and had seen it too, if only for a flash of a moment. A pearled horn, shining like a jewel in light with a wild mane, enriched with flowers and gleaming like the finest spun silk. A flash of light off their eyes before they were gone, whisked away into the wood as quiet as a deer and as fleeting as a falling star. The yearning in the king's voice to see the creature again resonated with his royal group. A wistfulness; as if the creature was everything of beauty and magic. The twilight of mystery and curiosity in everyone's eyes as he described each feature he could remember with admiration and desire.

The first thought Ulrich had was; the king had lost it. Years of binging alcohol and chasing maidens around the castle had cause him to think he was larger than life evidently. How else could this be justified? He might have not stopped there and asked Ulrich to bring him back a dragon while he was at it. Or, hell, go further and ask for the fairy queen and a mermaid. The trapper waited almost patiently to see when the king would drop the act, but as time marched on, he realized with growing distraught this was absolutely what he had been brought here for. After he was brought to a private meeting room, he tried in vain to convince the king there were no such things as unicorns. Perhaps he saw a white deer with a strange antler growth. Or had possibly eaten on accident the mushrooms that caused a man to see things in his own friends faces that did not exist.

But the compensation he offered Ulrich was no paltry sum. And the further Ulrich tried to refuse, the higher the amount went; to the point it would be his own stupidity to walk away. The look on his face was a man crushed to the whims of the world; money and power and their way of getting it. He sighed wearily, running his fingers through his greying hair helplessly and looking at the king with defeated resignation. After haggling on the deliverance of payment; they finally came to an agreement: half now, half later after the 'unicorn' was delivered. All the while Ulrich had to keep forcing himself to come back to the present and reassure himself yes, he was discussing trapping a unicorn with a man who could have his head chopped off the next morning. The entire situation was ludicrous. A deal finalized by the adviser of the court, with a seal by the king and bags of coin on his saddles, Ulrich set off, refusing the king's kind offer to let him wait till morning. It also took a bit more persuading than Ulrich cared for to get the king to let him go back on his own horse and not chauffeured with a caravan.

It brought him back to the reality of where he was now; stuck in a forest chasing the fancies of a fevered king. Ulrich had seen more than enough of the world to come to terms fairy tales didn't exist. Dragons, unicorns fairies- these were all figments of the human mind to think there was some secret world out there that was just beyond. A world not entrenched in the turmoil and marred by death and ugliness. The trapper had seen too much of it to believe there was anything else in the great beyond. More and more of the world's blank parts were filling in with each passing day. Soon there would be no mysteries at all. Even he was there, filling out a map and estimating the size of the wood. It was small compared to forests, on the fringes of mountains with rivers running through it and less than a few days ride from the castle. Far less grand than one would think a creature like a unicorn would live in. As far as Ulrich considered, it was a wood, just like any other.

Packing his bag and finally securing his furs and blades, he set off to the next intended camp area. There was still enough daylight to get in a days worth of travel and find some place suitable to set up before night fell. Noting the angle of the shadows on the ground and the height of the sun in the sky, he reoriented to where north was and set off, sending rabbits and squirrels running from his wake as the quiet of the forest was disturbed. It felt good to move after being so frustratingly stagnate, stretching stiff muscles and aching joints. Woes of the body that would only become more prevalent as he grew in his old age. He paid it no heed- the old grew slower and were the first to fall behind. That's how life was. And his time too, would eventually come when he would slow and stop moving. Nothing in this world lived forever. Nothing should. It erased the valuable meaning of life all living creatures clung to.

The forest stretched out long before him, languishing in the light. Every so often he'd pause and check his position before continuing on, keeping a keen eye out for real animals to be concerned about like wolves or bears; things like those existed and were much more of a concern to him. He observed carefully, paying attention to foliage and which way the moss grew as he waded deeper into the growth. This forest was, in a strange way, more vibrant than other's he had been in. Wild violets sprang up in brushes and red cardinals splashed against green shrubbery, painting the forest in colourful hues with daffodils peppering between them. Mushrooms growing along unmade paths and lilacs laid in cresting waves as the wind rippled through. As he observed, he began to vaguely notice details he hadn't before. There were bluebells, hanging in the wind off fresh stems; a flower that only bloomed in spring and was thriving even now into the early steps of fall. He would have expected frankly for these flowers to start fading earlier than they probably were going to instead of thriving as strong as they were. Under the brush he spied poppies, another spring flower and his brow furrowed deeper.

Evening started to creep in as he continued walking and mentally noting the strangeness of how conflicting seasons of things were blooming. However, he hadn't been in all parts of regions in lands he had traveled to; perhaps the soil in these lands were richer than others. Everything certainly looked lush and brimming with life. Even the birds and the animals, relaxed and fattened on nuts and berries from eating contently, were plentiful. Still, he hadn't seen every forest in the world so he shrugged it off, continuing onward to his goal and reveling in nature's beauty.

From his belt, in the reddening light, swung a gold chain, thin and dainty. It was the most ridiculous thing the king had asked of him yet when he agreed to this. The king insisted, stating only a fair golden chain, blessed with a fair maiden's kiss, could keep a unicorn captive; as their wild and free nature could escape any other trap laid for them. Ulrich had let his finger's run through it, barely feeling it on his callused hands and roughened fingers, so light was it. He was sure it would snap the moment it was tugged too hard but if it did, that could be enough proof that there was no such way any creature could be caught by this. However, during the trip, it had surprised him beyond expectation. Setting it as a snare, it had caught a few other creatures such as a few rabbits, a fox and even a deer. It held firm without breaking even once. It caused Ulrich suspicion but then he wondered if it was just steel and painted gold, the king having the wool pulled over his eyes by a traveling con man who probably heard about the king's obsession with the unicorn and said anything to make a quick coin.

He reached a clearing that seemed suitable enough for bedding down in, so he got to work clearing away the brush. Soon there was a small fire, lit by dead and dried wood and crackling with a gentle noise as a squirrel, filled with hazelnuts in its belly, wafted through the air. The gold chain was set up again that night a bit a ways and Ulrich decided, the flames dancing in his eyes while sitting on his personal bed of furs for his only luxury of comfort, a few more days here would be enough to stock up on last minute wildlife before heading back. He could use this wood later to hunt when he had his horse back from the inn (another request the king demanded; no horses in the forest) and be comfortable enough through winter and have enough coin to buy quality seeds in spring.

Slowly as the night crept in, Ulrich laid back on his bed of furs, staring up at what he could through the trees to stars pricking the dark sky with points of light. He sighed, hearing the soft calls of frogs in the distance and the hoot of an owl above. If there was one thing about this forest, it could at least be said it was soothing. Ulrich couldn't remember if he had ever been in a forest such as this one, where the night air was cool and the dying fire brought comfort for once instead of apprehension of wild animals creeping in. Soon, his eyes finally drew closed, sending him into the cradle of deeper sleep than he had known for many years.

Dawn came quickly,fingers just starting to streak across the sky. Ulrich woke far more slowly than he hoped for. Mildly surprised he hadn't woken earlier, he realized was roused him was the bell on his golden snare; ringing and calling to him in eagerness of what it had caught. He ignored it for a bit, drinking water out of a goat's stomach sack and wiping the excess from his roughened lips. The ringing persisted still, however, breaking the tranquil morning and causing an annoying-- Ulrich suddenly frowned. Why was that the only sound from the forest he could make out? No whippoorwill calls, no buzzing of insects- all quiet except for the bell on the snare, growing more insistent as the morning passed. Getting up with a grown, he rolled his stiff neck and shoulders before grabbing his hunting knife and sheathing it in the holster of his boot. It sounded like it had caught something larger than a rabbit for once, possibly a fox or a deer. Would make for a nice consolation prize if it was a decent buck.

Once again he trudged through the forest, pushing aside branches and ignoring the scratches by the brush. He was less alert than he liked to admit, lost in thought of rescinding his plan to stay another week and just heading back this morning after dealing whatever the snare caught. But upon finally coming to his clearing, he was more than alert. In fact, he was sure for a long moment this was still some sort of dream; blinking several times and simply staring at the sight ahead. Mouth slightly agape in shocked surprise, arms spreading apart branches of leaves to grant him access; Ulrich realized that all his assumptions about the world weren't as solid as he once thought. That there perhaps was weight to all the songs and stories and the creature that inspired countless works of art. Of all the things he had ever thought he would have caught in this life, now kissed in the dappling light, rays of sun gently casting down and blessing the forest with their dance. With roses blooming as though it were the height of spring, jubilant and bursting on vines where there were none yesterday when he had set his trap. A creature he never dreamed of seeing in a hundred life times.

For in the snare, with a gentle gold chain keeping them in place, was a Unicorn.


End file.
